GEN 1 Real Carbon Fiber Climate Control Trim

[BoostinChick]

Was not a huge fan of the Di-Noc (vinyl) and hydrodipping was expensive and I did not like any of the patterns I saw at various shops - it looked too fake to me. I looked into carbon fiber skinning and materials were actually cheap! The drawback is that it is time-consuming. I started with the climate control panel and the piece directly underneath that has the Microsoft SYNC badge. Don't worry! This trim piece had deep scratches along the top and some minor damage. It was a good sacrificial piece. I had to fill it in and sand smooth...

I chose a honeycomb pattern to be different. Everyone has or does the 2x2 twill.



This was after the first resin coat dried and I was able to trim any excess and cut out the sections I needed to.


3rd coat that's drying now. Tried to show the 3D effect this has which is pretty cool. For my first project and working with real carbon fiber, it turned out OK. I still need to wet sand and polish to get things even.

 

[Booth9999]

Nice! I like the pattern. I’ve always wanted to try this, how difficult was it to work with.

 

[BoostinChick]

Nice! I like the pattern. I’ve always wanted to try this, how difficult was it to work with.

Wasn't too difficult just had to think differently (if that makes sense). Meaning, it's not like vinyl or super stretchy. When you lay down the carbon fiber material you have to try and not stretch it so getting around corners or complicated contours can be tedious. To get any sort of sharp edge I had to fold it over and tape it down. Makes sense why people invest in vacuum bag type set ups if they do this often.

 

[BenBB]

That's badass!! Post more pics please, I'd love to see it when complete and installed.

 

[MasterKeebs]

Was not a huge fan of the Di-Noc (vinyl) and hydrodipping was expensive and I did not like any of the patterns I saw at various shops - it looked too fake to me. I looked into carbon fiber skinning and materials were actually cheap!

Curious to find out where you ordered your material from?

 

[BoostinChick]

Curious to find out where you ordered your material from?

eBay has kits with different weave patterns and the resin. I wanted to try it out first before I invested in resin since you can only seem to bulk purchase it in quarts.

 

[Ricoman]

NICE...!!!!!

 

[Xtinct]

Be sure to spray it with a urethane clear coat so the UV protectant will keep the epoxy from yellowing.

 

[BoostinChick]

Be sure to spray it with a urethane clear coat so the UV protectant will keep the epoxy from yellowing.

Good tip! The resin I used says it has UV protectant properties, but I will spray it with automotive clear as well once I get it to the finish I want.

 

[BoostinChick]

The bottom piece is all done and drying. Put 2-coats of automotive clear and have to let everything cure for a few days before I can install back in the truck. The top piece is still WIP and I will upload later.